The ruling All Progressives Congress in Ondo State has attacked the opposition Peoples Democratic Party for accusing governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of hoarding the Federal government’s rice palliatives allocated to the state. 

The PDP on Wednesday accused Mr Aiyedatiwa of hoarding the 20 trucks of rice palliatives sent to the state by the federal government to cushion the effects of high cost of living and hunger in the country. 

The opposition party further alleged that the governor was planning to repackage and rebrand the grains to share among members of the APC in the state. 

Reacting to the allegation on Thursday, the APC denied the PDP’s allegation against the governor, describing it as baseless and malicious. 

The APC said the palliatives sent to the state had already been distributed to the local government areas of the state after necessary verification of the potential beneficiaries. 

The party, in a statement by its spokesman, Steve Otaloro, clarified that the allegation from the opposition PDP that Mr Aiyedatiwa was hoarding the grains for political reasons was untrue and an attempt to tarnish the governor’s image.  

It said, “The distribution of palliative was well carried out across the LG areas in the state after necessary process of verifying and organising the distribution to ensure that the palliatives reach the intended beneficiaries. The insinuation that Governor Aiyedatiwa is hoarding and repackaging the palliatives for political gain is not only false but also a desperate attempt by the opposition to tarnish his reputation. The governor remains committed to serving the people of Ondo State with honesty and integrity and will not be swayed by such baseless accusations.’’

It explained that the governor had always prioritised the welfare of the people of the state, stressing that the governor had also been working tirelessly to ensure that the palliatives got to those in need in a fair and transparent manner. 

Calling on the PDP to desist from spreading misinformation and focus on constructive engagement in the interest of the people of the state, the APC said Mr Aiyedatiwa would continue to work diligently to address the needs of the people and ensure equitable distribution of palliatives and other government welfare packages.

Last week, President Bola Tinubu led-federal government announced rice distribution to each state of the federation to ameliorate the high cost of living due to the rise in prices of foodstuffs in the country.